


The Show Must Go On

by HyphenL



Series: Open For Business (Fills) [4]
Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Cooking, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Murder Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 05:29:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1457413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyphenL/pseuds/HyphenL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt by Divine (tofu popcorn)</p><p>Will and Hannibal end up on a couple's game show, (make one up or edit an existing one like food network's Chopped,) and there's rude contestants and well…. Established couple/flirting/Will already knows he's a cannibal. Love if the two win or if it is a cooking one Will and Hannibal just fit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Show Must Go On

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Divine](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Divine), [(tofu popcorn)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%28tofu+popcorn%29).



“For our last challenge, our contestants will go back to working with their love-monkey!” Freddie announced theatrically –a choir of relieved sighs flew out off most of the participants.

Will smirked as he noticed Hannibal was instead frowning at the use of the expression “love-monkey”. Still, going back to cook with him would be a relief. That Franklyn dude was getting on Will's nerves.

“How is it going, love?” he asked Hannibal as soon as they were back behind the same counter, Hannibal having already taken a sponge in hand to make sure it was actually clean. “I noticed you enjoyed cooking with that Beverly person.”

“She was efficient, yes” Hannibal answered simply. “I suppose I was much luckier than you were with my last assigned partner.”

Will winced, remembering the sloppy fingers of Franklyn letting go of the fish they were supposed to prepare, splashing noisily in a pan of cold oil.

“I'm pretty sure that Tobias guy is the one doing all the cooking” Will said, glancing at the counter behind which his former “partner” was talking to a tall, collected dark man. “We totally have a chance at winning the next challenge.”

“We would have to make up for the points you lost while working with Franklyn” Hannibal pointed out.

“Well hey, you don't have a perfect score either!” Will protested, fidgeting with Hannibal's apron and nuzzling his jaw. “Remember that Beverly and Alin... _Alana_ I think, bested you at making dessert.”

Hannibal turned his head away from the camera crew that had gone through the contestants and was now arriving to them.

“Come on, don't be shy big boy!” Freddie cried with forced enthusiasm –they had been filming for four hours already, and everyone was quite tired. “Right, I'm gonna ask you some questions boys, about what it was like to cook without each other for the last two weeks and about how relieved you are you're finally able to show us what you've got. Ready? Let's try to get this in two to three takes max, okay?”

Will felt Hannibal tense as the camerawoman pointed the big black glass eye of her device towards them. He slid an arm at his waist and pressed fingers on his side. Hannibal relaxed and smiled to him.

“No, not this angle Abigail” Freddie said, “try pointing the cam' at the pretty one. Yep, like that, drink in those wide blue eyes, _that's_ going to increase our audience.” She lift her head to look at Will: “You know you're one of the grand favourites, right? Try smiling a bit more and cuddling with that big guy there, and I'm pretty sure the audience will vote for you to stay again. Okay, ready? Rolling!”

Will had trouble being charming this once, as Hannibal was clearly very upset by how rude Freddie had been and thinking more about turning _her_ into a dish than about cooking for pleasure. So, as they were answering their third question, Will quite queasy and Hannibal cold as a knife, the younger man turned to his lover to kiss him gently. It was very effective in soothing him.

“You know you're gorgeous, sweetpie” he whispered into Hannibal's ear. “You're the most beautiful one there.”

Hannibal didn't answer, but seemed much more relaxed afterwards, working up his usual charm to seduce the hell of the camera. Will couldn't help but smile.

When the crew finally went, Hannibal cracked a genuine smile and hugged Will warmly. “I suggest making mince pie out of that presenter once the show's done” he murmured.

“Aw, come on darling, that'd be too easy to trace to us” Will answered fondly, cuddling him back.

“Mmm, I glad to be back with you” Hannibal sighed, closing his eyes and leaning on the other. “Cooking with others was interesting, but it's just not as entertaining.”

Will nuzzled the other's neck. “I missed you too, silly.”

 

The last challenge was meant to be the second time each couple would cook with the other. The show runners thought interesting to compare their ways of cooking before and after having had to adapt to other others' ways. They were also hoping for relationship drama through a careful mix of pairings.

Freddie was very annoyed with that Lecter guy in this. Beverly had sassed out Will enough for them to look friendly, _and maybe more,_ Freddie had told her audience. Alana and Tobias got along well enough –Alana was quite charming to all. Miss du Maurier and Tobias formed a sophisticated pairing, and a lot of tweets had suggested many viewers envisioned them well together (better than with Georgia anyway). Du Maurier seemed an equally perfect fit for Hannibal, but the guy acted hopelessly professional. Distant. Cold. Even Franklyn was more endearing with his clumsiness and kicked puppy eyes.

Along with Georgia, who was very nervous around the cameras, Hannibal was the contestant Freddie liked least. He cooked well enough, but did nothing for the show. And his dishes always ended up looking eerily morbid.

Freddie ruffled her fire like curls, then decided to take Will Graham aside to talk to him a little.

“What is it?” Graham asked, glancing towards Hannibal who was examining their new counter and kitchenette on set.

“Listen” Freddie started, “You're a winner, Willy. You're totally up to make up for the points you lost with Franklyn during that last challenge, but Lecter's slowing you down. Right now, it's up to you and Beverly, you're the golden tickets of this show. And, let's face it, Alana's much more lovable than your expressionless assistant. So if you want to win this round, and therefore the show, you'll have to do something about it.”

“Like, what?” Will answered, confused and slightly irritated at Freddie's criticism of his lover.

“Well, you'll have to compensate for the points Hannibal's not winning. The best way for that right now would be during the upcoming individual interviews. As a pair you don't add up, sorry. So you could suggest that not everything is going well with Lecter. Viewers will love to imagine themselves as your potential rebound lover. Plant the idea of a potential break up after the show, and you'll win easily three to five per cent more votes in your favour.”

Will greet his teeth. “Won't that go in disfavour of Hannibal?” he asked.

“Honey, look. You can't win as a couple. But you can totally come up first as an individual contestant.”

Will decided Freddie _would_ end up at his and Hannibal's table later on.

“I'll think about it” he lied, thinking about how good it would feel to rip her liver out.

 

“What did she want?” Hannibal asked when Will came back to their slot. He had already selected a few recipes they could use for the next challenge. At the counter right to their left, Franklyn was peeping, trying to find out which.

“She gave me advice on how to win solo” Will answered. “She thinks we won't make it in the duo category. Viewers like Alana better.”

Hannibal shrugged. “That Freddie's getting on my nerves” he commented.

“That Freddie's getting in our plate” Will whispered slyly, with a smile. Hannibal leaned in the peck on the cheek that followed. “What are we cooking then, love?”

“I'm balancing between Cajun and French” Hannibal answered. “I think we'd be better at Cajun, since you know it best.”

“Well, you're the actual cook” Will answered. “And I'm better at gutting fish than, well. Mammals.”

They shared a smile.

“Cajun it is” Hannibal said joyfully.

 

The cooking challenge started after filming a staging of the contestants reuniting with their partners, and a little speech of Freddie in front of the four kitchenettes and duos of participants. They were then invited to chose their ingredients on the pantry set, and finally the actual challenge started.

Hannibal and Will were used to cooking which each other, Will assisting and Hannibal doing the complicated parts. They complimented each other's skills quite well, and Will was swift enough with his hands to win himself the occasional compliment from Hannibal –who usually was very focused when he cooked. Various cameras danced around the four couples; Will couldn't help to glare at Freddie when she came to check on them and insist that they would favour filming Will over his lover.

At some point, they heard noise coming from the counter to their left, where Franklyn and Tobias were discussing something very loudly –another slippery fish visibly. Franklyn was so nervous he squeezed the scales too much; at some point, he made a wide gesture to lift up the heavy salmon and put it on the counter, but the beast escaped his wet grip and went flying towards Will's and Hannibal's own cooking space.

It banged loudly on the side of the stove where Hannibal had put slices of vegetable to fry, its tail knocking the panhandle –Will was already diving to push Hannibal out of the way.

He dove too late, and found himself flattened against the back of their kitchenette instead, Hannibal pressing against him to shield him from the splash. Oil had still managed to find his arms, and bit his flesh harshly.

“Fuck” he blurted out, pushing Hannibal off him, ripping the apron out of his partner's body without thinking. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck!_ Are you alright?”

“I'm–”

Will got Hannibal out of his shirt too, and pushed him towards the sink to splash water on his back. “ _Are you alright?_ ”

“I'm fine, my love, shhh.” Hannibal gently seized Will's burnt forearms to pull them under the fresh stream of water.

“ _Oh, come on, you're kidding me!_ ” Will snapped, freeing his arms to resume his task of cooling Hannibal's burnt back.

“We have to appease your arms, Will” Hannibal insisted, grabbing again at Will's wrists. “Doctor's orders.”

Will cringed, relieved at the fresh sensation on his hurting flesh. “Says the human stupid shield” he grumbled, slipping a hand off Hannibal's grasp to run water on his back again.

“Here, have some ice” the smooth, concerned voice of Alana said near them –her and Beverly were handing them cold plastics bags that Will immediately pressed on Hannibal's reddened back.

“You could strap them on with this” the camerawoman named Abigail suggested, giving them a thin, used piece of rope. “Until the medic arrives.”

In a corner, a mortified Franklyn was muttering how sorry he was. His partner put a soothing hand on his shoulder.

“I'm fine” Hannibal answered, “Will got burnt too; here, take some ice.”

“You fucking idiot” Will muttered, kissing the other on the mouth. “You're such a moron, damn it, Hannibal; jumping in front of a splash of frying oil, how stupid can you be.” He kissed him again, squeezing his arms around the packs of ice on the other's back.

“I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't tried to shield me from it” Hannibal reminded the other.

“Yeah, we're utterly stupid” Will said, showering him in kisses.

 

The filming wasn't rescheduled, but Hannibal and Will were given more time to finish their dish as they had to wait for doctors to check on them. Their recipe came out as passable. In the end, Will didn't win in the individual category.

But they got the duo.

 

**Author's Note:**

> > Send prompts here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/1451776/chapters/3056608


End file.
